Warwick players to compete on big stage

Posted
Thursday, June 27, 2013 1:00 pm

The US Youth Soccer National Championship Series is coming to Kingston, Rhode Island June 27 to July 2. This is part of the country's most prestigious national youth soccer tournament. Ten players from Warwick will be participating. Cara Beneduce, Clare Birney, Talia D'Ambruoso, Erica Hammond, Larissa Paolantonio, Nicole Starkey, Megan Sullivan and their Under-18 girls state championship team from Bruno United Soccer Club (pictured) will be up against the best competition and players in the Eastern United States. Emily Ponte, Lucas Gesmundo, and Niall Blackadar, all from Warwick, will also be representing Rhode Island with their Bruno United teams.

The championships are a competition of US Youth Soccer state champions from 15 Eastern states, including the recently crowned Rhode Island state champions. Following individual state championship tournaments, the regional championships are the second step of the US Youth Soccer National Championship Series. Winners of the tournament advance to the National Championships in Overland Park, Kansas.

The tournament will attract more than 260 boys and girls teams, ages Under-12 through Under-19, from the 15 Eastern US Youth Soccer State Associations (Connecticut, Delaware, Eastern New York, Eastern Pennsylvania, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York West, Pennsylvania West, Rhode Island, Vermont, Virginia and West Virginia).

With more the 17,000 youth soccer players in Rhode Island, Bruno United Soccer Club attracts and trains the best players in the area. The club’s director, John Tomlinson of Portsmouth, is confident the Bruno teams will be successful at the tournament.

“This is what we work for all year,” he said in a release. “Our players are well prepared and really excited about facing off against some great teams.”